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posted by Blackmoore on Friday November 14 2014, @05:00PM   Printer-friendly
from the when-I-fall dept.

Patrick McGeehan writes in the NYT that the image of a pair of window washers clinging to a scaffold dangling outside the 68th floor of 1 World Trade Center have left many wondering why robots can't rub soapy water on glass and wipe it off with a squeegee relieving humans of the risk of injury, or death, from a plunge to the sidewalk? The simple answer, several experts say, is that washing windows is something that machines still cannot do as well as people can. “Building are starting to look like huge sculptures in the sky,” says Craig Caulkins. “A robot can’t maneuver to get around those curves to get into the facets of the building." According to Caulkins robotic cleaning systems tend to leave dirt in the corners of the glass walls that are designed to provide panoramic views from high floors. “If you are a fastidious owner wanting clean, clean windows so you can take advantage of that very expensive view that you bought, the last thing you want to see is that gray area around the rim of the window."

Another reason for the sparse use of robots is that buildings require a lot more maintenance than just window cleaning. Equipment is needed to lower people to repair facades and broken windows, like the one that rescue workers had to cut through with diamond cutters to rescue the window washers. For many years, being a window cleaner in Manhattan was regarded as one of the most dangerous occupations in the world: by 1932, an average of one in every two hundred window cleaners in New York was killed each year.  Now all new union window cleaners now take two hundred and sixteen hours of classroom instruction, three thousand hours of accredited time with an employer and their union makes sure workers follow rigorous safety protocols. In all, there are about 700 scaffolds for window washing on buildings in New York City, says union representative Gerard McEneaney. His members are willing to do the work because it pays well: as much $26.89 an hour plus benefits. Many of the window cleaners are immigrants from South America. “They’re fearless guys, fearless workers."

 
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 15 2014, @06:16AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 15 2014, @06:16AM (#116141)

    Except for bragging rights, or buildings so huge that they require year-round window cleaning, a human is cheaper than a dedicated robot.

    Yeah someone else paid for the 16+ years of manufacturing and initial configuration. ;)

    But yeah I don't see why it's impossible for a robot. If someone is willing to supply vast sums of money I'd be happy to put together a team to build a skyscraper washing system where you don't need people hanging dangerously outside (could be a few humans managing many semi-autonomous washer robots - gamification anyone? ).